National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to reverse the removal of petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, warning that such a major economic decision cannot be reduced to what he described as an election-season promise.
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Yilwatda, in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, said any proposal to restore the subsidy regime must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny because of its implications for public finances, economic stability and investment.
He described Atiku’s proposal as a troubling policy reversal which, in his view, raised questions about the opposition’s preparedness to govern and the sustainability of its economic alternatives.
According to the APC chairman, Nigerians deserve a clear explanation of how a restored subsidy would be financed, which sectors of the economy would bear the cost and whether the policy could be sustained without recreating the fiscal pressures that prompted its removal.
“Economic policy cannot be reduced to election-season promises. Nigerians deserve to know precisely where the money will come from,” Yilwatda said.
“What sectors will bear the cost and whether such a policy can be sustained without reopening the fiscal pressures that necessitated reform in the first place.”
Yilwatda made the remarks during a visit to the headquarters of the City Boy Movement in Abuja, where he inspected the organisation’s facilities and interacted with its leadership.
He argued that opposition figures had been repeatedly challenged over the past three years to present clear alternatives to the policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration, but had, in his assessment, failed to produce a comprehensive and convincing governing programme.
The APC chairman questioned why Atiku was advancing the subsidy proposal only months before the 2027 general election, contending that reversing the policy could undo what he described as difficult economic adjustments undertaken by the present administration.
He maintained that the removal of petrol subsidy was a difficult but necessary decision, while acknowledging that its consequences required complementary measures to reduce the burden on Nigerians, strengthen social interventions and expand productive sectors of the economy.
Yilwatda said the real test of leadership was not merely the ability to promise immediate relief for electoral advantage but the willingness to take difficult decisions, explain them to citizens and remain committed to policies capable of producing sustainable growth.
He warned that reversing the reforms without a credible alternative could undermine investor confidence, increase fiscal pressures and jeopardise economic gains being pursued by the administration.
According to him, Nigerians should carefully examine the competing economic programmes being presented ahead of the 2027 elections and distinguish between policies intended to address structural problems and proposals that may offer short-term political appeal while creating longer-term fiscal challenges.
Yilwatda also criticised what he described as ideological and organisational inconsistency within opposition parties, arguing that politicians who frequently move between political platforms could not credibly claim to offer the stability required to govern a complex country.
He contrasted that with what he described as the political consistency of President Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
According to him, Tinubu has remained within what he described as the progressive political tradition throughout his political career, aside from periods when political parties merged, while Shettima and other key APC stakeholders had similarly maintained consistent political trajectories.
Yilwatda said the Tinubu administration had taken difficult economic decisions aimed at repositioning the Nigerian economy, attracting investment, strengthening domestic production and reducing dependence on what the government considers unsustainable state interventions.
He urged Nigerians not to evaluate the 2027 presidential race solely on the basis of promises of immediate economic relief.
The APC chairman also called for scrutiny of the records of all presidential aspirants, including Atiku’s time in government and his relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He referenced past controversies surrounding the privatisation programme undertaken during the Obasanjo administration, saying questions about accountability and economic governance should not be ignored as another election approaches. The claims surrounding the privatisation exercise remain matters of political contention and should not be treated as established findings against Atiku.
Yilwatda maintained that the 2027 election should instead be a contest of ideas, competence and credible policy alternatives.
“The 2027 election should be a contest of ideas, competence and credible policy alternatives, not a competition in which difficult economic realities are glossed over for political convenience,” he said.
He added that the election should present Nigerians with competing visions for the country’s future rather than become, in his words, a contest over who could make the most attractive last-minute promises.
Yilwatda said the APC would continue to defend policies it believes are necessary to build a more productive, investment-friendly and economically sustainable Nigeria, while remaining open to constructive criticism and credible alternatives from the opposition.
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